Love
by Ookami-Papillon
Summary: KibaShino oneshot. A walk leads to revelations and confessions.


Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba were taking an afternoon walk with Akamaru. The little white dog had bounded ahead, chasing after some spot of light, probably, leaving the two boys behind. Kiba is unnaturally quiet and Shino is unnaturally fidgety. Finally, after what seems like hours of silence and mute communication that neither can understand, the Inuzuka boy mumbles something about sitting down and waiting for Akamaru to come back. Shino just nods. They find a nice spot under a large tree by the side of the little known dirt path they are walking on.

"… Is it wrong for a guy to be in love with another guy?" Kiba asks out of the blue, turning to Shino expectantly. Despite being rather surprised, the Aburame ponders this for a moment.

"… Why would you ask me? I'm not an expert on love, by far. Most people find the Aburame clan creepy at first glance, and the insects don't help that in the least," He finally murmurs. Kiba lets out a small irritated whine from the back of his throat. His companion is surprised again. Normally his team mate would just sigh and drop the matter at such a answer; what makes this one so different?

"I'm asking you _your_ opinion! I want to know it!" The brunet boy insists. Shino gives a one-shouldered shrug. So that's what's different. He's just being too nosey for his own good again. "In plain English!" Shino can almost smile at that.

"Well… I don't see anything wrong with it, personally. Who are we to judge what is right and wrong, especially love? The ways of the heart are something I don't believe I, of all people, could understand. I'm not very sure I want to." Kiba nods like it all makes sense. Shino stares out in front of him, thinking.

He wonders if anyone could ever love him, and if he could ever love anyone else. He loved his Father, of course he did. He liked his team and was almost content with how his life was at the moment (he refused to let the Uchiha Sasuke rescue mission go just yet). He wonders why Kiba would ask such a question. Did he like other males? Was that it? No, that didn't seem right. He doubted Kiba would care for such things yet; he'd scoff and accuse love of being too girly for him, most probably, if anyone asked. He was still probably at the stage where love came with attraction. Maybe Kiba had a male friend who liked him. He knew Kiba respected the way he analysed things. Could he want to know how it would be accepted at a more intellectual level? Hmm, no, still not right. He didn't think Kiba had any other friends besides them. Did Kiba have any friends outside their team? Shino didn't really; was Kiba the same?

"… You can understand mine," The Inuzuka says suddenly. Shino glances over at him.

"I beg your pardon? What was that you just said, Kiba?" He asks. The Inuzuka shrugs, looking slightly helpless. Shino doesn't like that look. It doesn't look good on his friend.

"You can understand mine. My heart. If you… if you wanna," The dog lover repeats quietly, that desperate kind of look lingering in his eyes as he stares at the Aburame with a kind of… longing. For a split second, Shino is mad. Kiba should never look like that; it's just not fair. Hinata has that look all the time; and he can only take so much of it from the people near to him.

"Kiba; what are you trying to say?" Shino asks, in plain English; mostly because he's still a touch furious and Shino is not used to being furious. Kiba looks down.

"… My… My heart. It's- I think it's kinda… yours…" Shino calms then. He doesn't get it (why him?) but he will understand. Try to, understand, at least…

"Are you giving it to me, Kiba?" Shino asks gently, wondering how he can show that he was not angry at Kiba, per say, but himself. The Inuzuka blinks rapidly.

"Well, kinda. I mean, I need it, y'know? To live and shit. So it's more like… trade?" It's Shino's turn to blink now. Can Kiba be insinuating what he believes he is?

"… A trade, Kiba? My heart for yours?" The boy looks away and nods faintly, as if he fears Shino's reaction.

And rejection.

The Aburame is in no way stupid. He knows what he is getting into, accepting this trade of Kiba's. Love. A relationship. Something far more fragile and stronger than friendship. Kiba loved him. That was what the boy was trying to say. But he was also asking; 'did Shino love him back?'. The boy was uncertain. How _did_ he feel for his male team mate? True; his heart was always beating a little faster when it was just the two of them together. True; he enjoyed Kiba's company far more than leaving it. True; he did like looking at Kiba and spending time with him and he didn't smell like the wet dog everyone said and his smile was enticing.

… Shino hated it when it took so long for him to understand.

"I don't know what you're talking about. There's no trade." Kiba's nervous grin dropped, and his body seemed to deflate. His expression was absolutely crushed. "You already have my heart, and I think I've had yours all along. So I don't know what you're talking about."

Akamaru barked happily in the distance. Now that the Sun was setting, he could see what he had been chasing! A stray firefly! He wanted to tell Kiba, but his master seemed very busy with his other friend. Oh well. He'd have to wait.


End file.
